The Golden Ocean by Patrick O'Brian

Author:Patrick O'Brian [O'Brian, Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0393315371
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 1996-10-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

‘MR PALAFOX, WHAT THE DEVIL DO YOU MEAN, SIR? HOW CAN you presume to answer me with, “I came as fast as I could”? Here have I been waiting six mortal minutes while you stroll about the island taking your ease in the shade. What do you mean by it? I wish you may not be growing sullen, as well as grossly obese and idle.’

‘I did run, sir.’

‘Don’t you presume to answer me, sir,’ cried the lieutenant. ‘I saw you. Do you call that gasping waddle a run? Look at you—a great, blubbery, slab-sided hulk that can’t reach the maintop without stopping to pant five times on the way. Oh, what a horrible greasy sight. More like one of these sea-calves than a King’s officer. You have been fooling about in the cabbage palms. I know it as well as if I had seen you, so don’t you dare to deny it, for I will not bear it. Get into that boat directly. It is always the same with these midshipmen—let them on shore for five minutes, and they come back disgustingly bloated and wanton.’

‘My dear boy,’ said Mr Walter, ‘I hope you may not be taking to dissolute ways. I heard you and Keppel and Ransome hallooing and singing until three in the morning, and this is not the first time, by a very long way. The Commodore has taken notice of it more than once. He said, “How can anyone get any sleep with this infernal din going on?” Surely, this is very inconsiderate in you, Peter?’

‘I am very sorry, sir. We were hunting a goat.’

‘What, in the middle of the night?’

‘We thought it more sporting, sir, for it was the very old billy we always shoot on Fridays: he is getting very slow in his pins.’

‘Poor creature. No wonder he is getting old and nervous and slow, the way you harry him. It is a shame, I declare; and I think it but right to put you in mind of the fate of the Children of Israel, when they waxed fat and kicked.’

‘Where is that—midshipman? Oh, there you are at last, Mr Palafox. You will find yourself confined to the ship if you go on like this. You are sailing pretty near the wind, I can tell you, my friend: only this morning Mr Saumarez said, “I wonder what has come into that young fellow. He was a quiet, sober, well-conducted midshipman a few months ago, apart from talking too much by half; but if he goes on at this gait he will soon have corrupted half the crew with his example.”’

‘Who put this goat into my bed?’ asked the master, with awful quietness. ‘What depraved wretch—Mr Palafox, come here. Mr Palafox. Mr Palafox—is the boy deaf?’

Mr Palafox lay on his back in the boat, his noble brow shaded by a palm-leaf hat, while Sean fished over the side. There was already a mound of fish between the thwarts, but he fished on with the fanatic intensity of one who cannot possibly pull in enough.

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